49ers are 'Early Winners' in Free Agency According to Pro Football Focus

Remember when John Lynch said the San Francisco 49ers would be “aggressively prudent” in bringing the right talent to the team this offseason? (Honestly, who could really forget that saying?) Well, he has delivered by filling key voids on the 49ers roster.

The guys at Pro Football Focus compiled their list of early winners during the 2018 NFL free agency period and the 49ers were a top team to “wisely” improve their roster this offseason.

One of the most notable signings happened to be former NFC West rival Richard Sherman. Despite coming off of an Achilles injury in 2017, Sherman fills arguably the biggest hole on the 49ers roster at cornerback. Here’s what PFF had to say on the corner:

“Sherman is annually one of the best cornerbacks in football, and assuming good health, the 49ers got a steal in securing the tail end of Sherman’s prime.”

Exactly one month after signing Daniel Kilgore to a three-year extension, the 49ers decided to go younger with the addition of Weston Richburg. The 49ers were in need of an offensive line upgrade to surround their franchise quarterback, and Richburg checked the box. Here’s PFF’s take on the center:

“Up front, they added center Weston Richburg who is one of the league’s best when healthy, especially if he gets back to his 2015 form that saw him grade at 86.5.”

The 49ers signed highly sought after running back Jerick McKinnon following the departure of Carlos Hyde. McKinnon, who primarily served as a backup in his first four seasons, hopes to be a natural fit as a featured back in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Take a look at what PFF had to say on McKinnon:

“He’s a good fit for the zone-heavy rushing attack and his pass-game ability adds to his value. He’s coming off a career-year that saw him grade at 84.6 overall.”

San Francisco also signed defensive lineman Jeremiah Attaochu on Thursday. Lynch said he expects the pass rusher to be “productive on defense, while also providing us an exceptional player on special teams.”

There probably won’t be many more “splash” signings, but you can expect Lynch to continue to tinker the roster as the offseason continues.